Ryan Mullin, St. Ignatius High School

Senior, St. Ignatius High School

The student body president and football player has global ambitions for St. Ignatius. Along with two schoolmates, he spearheaded the school’s effort to become fair trade certified, meaning products used on campus, such as coffee served in the cafeteria, are ethically sourced. Their accomplishment makes St. Ignatius just the second Jesuit high school in the nation to be fair trade certified. “It’s a social justice, looking out for all of humanity,” says Mullin. “You can’t just be focused on your life in Cleveland, Ohio. You’ve got to look at the broader spectrum of the world around you.” Certified education: In order to gain certification, Mullin and his classmates planned and hosted a variety of events, including a week focused on educating students about fair trade. “It can be really hard to envision how important buying fair trade is when these countries are so far away,” says Mullin. “But I would like everyone at St. Ignatius to be educated on this topic and be able to partake in it.” Food drive: Mullin’s global focus doesn’t mean he’s forgotten where he comes from. As a core team leader for the Rini Family Christmas Food Drive, he wakes up at 5 a.m. on the first day of every winter break to assemble boxes of goods for families throughout Cleveland. “We load up cars and go off to deliver the food,” Mullin says. “It’s really cool to see how the Ignatian community can be so giving and help those who need it.” Title hopes: Mullin has played for the varsity football team since his junior year and thinks the Wildcats have a legit shot at a state championship this year. “We have a really motivated group of guys,” Mullin says. “No one else seems to believe that we can win a state championship, but we all believe in ourselves, our abilities and what we can do. I love it.” Extended learning: While he brainstorms new ways to expand his fair trade work at Ignatius, Mullin is already looking ahead to changes he can make in college. “I’m going to keep fighting for this,” he says. “If the college that I end up attending isn’t fair trade certified, I would definitely work to get that accomplished.”